STEPHEN Metcalfe, Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock, is encouraging local schools to compete in the UK’s largest youth model rocket competition – The UK Rocketry Challenge.
This week in Parliament he met pupils from the winning UK secondary schools from 2015 and 2016 to find out how local schools can become this year’s champions.
The UK Rocketry Challenge involves the design, build, and launch of a model rocket with the aim of ensuring the passenger – one raw egg – remains intact throughout the launch and landing. The rocket must reach 775 feet with specific target flight duration of 41-43 seconds. Rules governing the competition are altered every year to ensure designs cannot be repeated.
The national final champions win an all-expenses paid trip to Paris, to represent the UK in a fly off against teams from the USA, Japan, and France at the Paris International Airshow in June 2017.
Mr Metcalfe, Chair of Parliament’s cross-party Science and Technology Committee, said:
“The UK Rocketry Challenge provides students with a unique opportunity to apply what they have learned in science, technology, engineering, and maths subjects and gain highly valued skills.
“It is crucial that our young people grow the skills needed to succeed in their future careers. The UK Rocketry Challenge is a fun way to help them do this as well as develop a real passion for science.
“I hope local schools in our area take part in the competition and I look forward to supporting them along the way.”
You can find out more about the UK Rocketry Challenge online via its website: http://www.ukayroc.org.uk/.
